Former president Donald J. Trump was booed by his supporters this week after making a pro-vaccine statement.
Prior to his interview with Candace Owens, Trump had never fully endorsed the COVID-19 vaccine – even though he’d already been vaccinated himself for about one week.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci said he was “dismayed” Sunday to hear the echoes of dissent.
“I was a bit dismayed when former President Trump came out and made that statement, and his followers booed him,” Fauci told ABC’s This Week. “I was stunned by that. I mean, given the fact of how popular he is with that group … which tells me how recalcitrant they are about being told what they should do.”
Fauci added, “I think that his continuing to say that people should get vaccinated and articulating that to them, in my mind, is a good thing. I hope he keeps it up.”
Fauci said Trump’s comments this week could persuade others to get the shot, saying that “we’ll take anything we can get about getting people vaccinated.”